Tanzania Family Adventure

Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel.

A short scenic flight takes us to a private 10,000-acre private nature reserve, located adjacent to Serengeti National Park and part of that ecosystem. After a safari briefing, head out for our first taste of wildlife viewing. Giraffe, eland, dik dik, ostrich, impala and even African Elephant can be seen in this unique wildlife haven, dubbed “Giraffic Park” by past visitors.

Learn to tell the difference between the footprint of a dik-dik and a Thomson’s gazelle, or a leopard and a lion as we join our guide in search of animal footprints. After lunch, gather to hear folktales from Maasai elder and master storyteller, Nekaaki Kioki. Then visit a boma to tour the circular mud-and-dung homes and learn about the Maasai’s semi-nomadic way of life. This evening, take to the plains after dark for a night drive in search of nocturnal creatures, such as spring hares, aardvarks, and porcupines.

Break camp this morning and head west through Klein’s Gate, our entry point to Serengeti National Park, keeping an eye out for wildlife as we cross the acacia-covered landscape toward our next tented camp. Along the way, stop at a community development project to hear how tourism can impact the community in positive ways through collaboration and understanding.

Spend the day wildlife viewing in the park. Look for wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, antelope, lion, cheetah and leopard in the grassy savanna. Back at camp, take in the spectacular colors of an equatorial African sunset, then after dinner, gaze up at the millions of stars overhead.

Depart the grasslands of the Serengeti on a flight bound for the red soil and lush landscapes of the Ngorongoro Highlands. Upon arrival, transfer to our lodge, recently named Best Safari Lodge in Africa by Travel + Leisure, for lunch. Take a guided tour of the farm, a sloping 10 acres of vegetable and fruit gardens, growing everything from artichoke to zucchini and providing most of the ingredients for our organic meals. See the pig and dairy farm, where we get to try our hands at milking a cow and walk through the famed coffee bean fields that gave the farm its start more than 80 years ago.

Spend an entire day exploring the floor of the magnificent 102-square-mile Ngorongoro Crater. Keep an eye out for rhinoceros and big cats, such as lions and cheetahs, and marvel at the sheer diversity of species, from baboons and elephants in the Lerai Forest to wildebeest and mountain reedbuck over the crater’s grassy floor. This evening, relax at the Tembo Fire, an open-air sitting area with a comfortable seating area and full bar—a wonderful place for conversation, storytelling, and stargazing.

Today, visit a local primary school to hear from teachers and students about education in Tanzania. Young explorers meet their pen pals, then take to the field for an informal soccer match. Toast our adventure at a special farewell dinner tonight with fellow travelers.

This morning, we drive back to Arusha for a festive farewell lunch. Afterward, visit a local workshop and community project that employs people with disabilities, training them in jewelry and glassware design. Then relax in day rooms or take a swim in the hotel pool before heading to the airport for homeward bound flights.